*Says neglect of kidnapped governorship candidate behind crisis in the Party
By Toby Chucks
Ahead of the 2025 governorship election in Anambra State, the Founder/CEO of a renowned mass movement group known as Oga Ndi Oga Foundation, High Chief Godwin Agbasimelo has bemoaned the crisis currently bedeviling the Labour Party, describing the crisis as “self inflicted” owing to neglect of kidnapped governorship candidate of the party Mr Obiora Agbasimelo by leaders and stakeholders of Labour Party including Julius Abure led administration and all those that were elected as Senators, Federal House of Reps Members and States House of Assembly Members on the platform of the party.
Recall that Obiora who was the governorship candidate of Labour Party in 2021 poll in Anambra State was kidnapped by gunmen two months to the election and he is still yet to be found. Exposing the cause of the crisis in a more elaborate explanation, Agbasimelo wondered how Labour Party could be in peace while Obiora who sacrificed his life to build the Party and made the Party a force to reckon with is completely forgotten by those who are making benefit from the Party. He noted that it is only former Governor Peter Obi that has visited Obiora’s family on several occasions.
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He maintained that it is unbelievable that Julius Abure and all those that are benefiting from the fruit of Obiora’s labour never asked about where he is since he was abducted, never asked about his wife and his children, never cared to give back to Oga Ndi Oga Foundation that made Labour Party available for them to use it to become what they are today. He asked “who was Julius Abure in the polity before Oga Ndi Oga Foundation picked Labour Party and moved Abure into political limelight as national chairman of Labour Party?
Giving account of how Oga Ndi Foundation picked and made Labour Party a true national political Party he said “late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah used Labour Party to contest governorship election in Anambra State in 2013 and lost. Afterwards the late Senator abandoned the Party. Again in 2017 Andy Ubah used Labour Party to run for governor and lost. Ubah also abandoned the party afterwards leaving the party to languish in oblivion. Then in 2021 Oga Ndi Foundation picked Labour Party and build it into a strong mass movement in the State ahead of the 2021 election.
“Unfortunately, about two months to the election kidnappers abducted Obiora and there was nothing we could do over the election. So Labour Party did not field candidate after doing enough work to win the election and eventually Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of APGA won the 2021 election. Soludo was lucky because nobody could have stopped Labour Party from winning the 2021 election with Obiora as our candidate.
According to him “based on the impact of the Foundation on the Labour Party, former Governor Peter Obi came on board and emerged the Presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023 election. And consequently people started winning election with the party for the first time in the North and South.
Today Labour Party have Senators, House of Reps members and State House of Members but non of them who were elected on the platform of Labour Party has ever asked of those who made sacrifice to build the Party. Non them has ever asked about the case of abduction of Obiora and until Abure and all that were elected on the platform of Labour Party ask of Obiora, Labour Party might continue to face crisis
